1. Field of the Invention
The document relates to a plasma display apparatus comprising a connector.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a plasma display apparatus comprises a plasma display panel and a driving unit for driving the plasma display panel. The plasma display apparatus has excellent characteristics such as self-luminance, a high-speed response and a wide viewing angle, and thus the plasma display apparatus has been widely adopted.
The plasma display apparatus comprises a connector for supplying a driving signal to electrodes of the plasma display panel. Use of the connector reduces manufacturing costs and allows for greater automation of a manufacturing process. The connector comprises COF (chip-on-film), TCP (tape carrier package) or FPC (flexible printed circuit).
FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a connector of a related art plasma display apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, a conductive adhesive film 5 comprising conductive particles is temporarily compressed on electrode lines 3 of a connector 1. Afterwards, as shown in FIG. 2, when heat is applied to the conductive adhesive film 5, the conductive adhesive film 5 is compressed between a plasma display panel 2 and the connector 1 by the applied force with respect to a compression reference point. Thus, the conductive adhesive film 5 expanded by the heat connects the electrode line 3 of the conductive adhesive film 5 to an electrode 4 of the plasma display panel 2. The conductive adhesive film 5 may be an anisotropic conductive film (ACF).
A width W1 of the electrode line 3 of the connector 1 is equal to a width W2 of the electrode 4 of the plasma display panel 2. When the electrode 4 of the plasma display panel 2 is imperfectly aligned with the electrode line 3 of the connector 1 in a compression process, an insulation distance L1 between the electrode lines 3 may decrease. When the insulation distance L1 between the electrode lines 3 decreases, the insulation between the electrode lines 3 is insufficient due to the generation of a migration of an electrode material.
The migration of the electrode material in the electrode 4 of the plasma display panel 2 is that the ionized electrode material is moved due to the electric potential difference between the electrode lines 3. When the migration is generated in the electrode 4 of the plasma display panel 2, the electrode material ionized moves to the adjacent electrode line 3 of the connector 1.
In other words, the electrode material is hydrolyzed by water absorbed on the surface of the electrode and then the electrode material is ionized. The electrode material ionized moves to the adjacent electrode line 3 along the electrode line 3 due to the electric potential difference between the electrode lines 3 which causes the generation of a short between the electrode lines 3. Further, since the electrode material ionized moves to the adjacent electrode line 3, the electrodes may be opened. In particular, when the electrode 4 of the plasma display panel 2 comprises silver (Ag), the migration is generated more remarkably. Thus, a likelihood of the generation of the short between the electrode lines 3 is higher.
Accordingly, when the width W1 of the electrode line 3 is equal to the width W2 of the electrode 4, the insulation distance L1 decreases due to the imperfect alignment between the electrode line 3 and the electrode 4. As a result, the likelihood of the generation of the short between the electrode lines 3 due to the migration of the electrode material is high.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another connector of a related art plasma display apparatus. As shown in FIG. 3, when a width a1 of an electrode line 3 is wider than a width b1 of an electrode 4, a likelihood of the generation of a short between the electrode lines 3 due to the migration of the electrode material is high. In other words, when the width a1 of the electrode line 3 is wider than the width b1 of the electrode 4, an insulation distance L1 between the electrode lines 3 decreases. Thus, the likelihood of the generation of the short between the electrode lines 3 due to the migration of the electrode material is high. Furthermore, when the electrode 4 is imperfectly aligned with the electrode line 3, the insulation distance L1 between the electrode lines 3 further decreases. Thus, the likelihood of the generation of the short between the electrode lines 3 due to the migration of the electrode material is higher.